May i, 1884 j 



FOREST AND STREAM. 



263 



and prepared for an early morning start for the South Santee 

 River, 



During 1 1 10 afternoon and early evening a few Bheldrakes 

 and divers were killed, but not a- single good duck was 

 killed While silling in a bateau and trying to drift within 

 gnu shot of a bunch of Scaup ducks, a killdee plover lit on 

 the seat of the boat within five feet of me, and without fear, 

 alter cocking his head and eyeing me as much as to say, '"You 

 look like a man, but you must be a stump," began to preen 

 his leathers, but a wink of the eye or an involuntary move 

 of the hand sent him circling round the boat, but even then 

 be did not seem in the least frightened, and essayed to alight 

 twice or three times afterward" 



Leaving Capers Island, we steamed along without incident 

 hack of Bull's Island and out into Bull's Bay. 



There was not. a breath of air stirring, so we tried to take a 

 short cut across the flats, as we had a good tide to give plenty 

 of water under our keel. 



All went well until we were within a mile of completing 

 the crossing, when a sudden lurch to one side, a scraping 

 below, and a sudden stop showed we were aground, and so 

 hard and fast, too, that uo amount of backing or kedging 

 availed us, and we had no choice left but to wait for the 

 next high tide, which would be at midnight. 



To pass away the time the bateaux were rowed to the 

 nearest islands and the decoys set out, but not a duck came 

 near them, and a pair of curlew and three oyster catchers 

 was the result of the afternoon's shooting. 



V little after sunset Mr. Magwood filled his Jack with 

 light wood knots, and stowing away a hag of the same in 

 the bateau, invited me to try an hour or two'graining for 

 trout and bass, as Bull's Bay 'is fairly teeming with both. It 

 was my first experience with the grains, but 1 was fairly 

 successful, as lint six or seven were missed of the thirty odd 

 that I struck at. The smoke from the Jack made my eyes 

 smart and run torrents of tears, until a faint breeze bore the 

 smoke to leeward, but of the other effects it produced it is 

 enough to say that when we reached Cape Roman light, 

 having floated the tug off the flat at high water, the light- 

 house keeper thought I was the negro servant, and ordered 

 me to bring in an armful of wood for the fire. When I 

 looked in the glass I was not surprised at his mistake, for a 

 sootier-looking individual never walked than the one who 

 had spent three hours behind a light-wood jack that night. 



The keeper's apologies were profuse, but no offense could 

 possibly have been taken, for the hue was Ethiopian. 



We reached the lighthouse at about 1:30 A. M., and were 

 most hospitably received by the second assistant keeper, Nel- 

 son, a Swede by birth, the other keepers being on watch or 

 asleep. We were soon asleep in his quarters, but at 4:30 

 were roused up, and found a heaping dish of fried bass and 

 trout, boiled potatoes and steaming coffee ready on the table. 



Half an hour later we were all on the way to our blinds; 

 McPherson, a tawny-haired Scot, as guide to Deerslayer and 

 Jack, Magwood and Walker following them, while Nelson 

 acted as my guide and adviser. 



Landing' in the mud and both boots remaining fast, the 

 natural resvdt was an overthrow, so Nelson packed me 

 ashore on his back and then returned and pulled out the 

 rubber boots which had remained behind, standing like for- 

 lorn sentinels amid a waste of ooze. 



The weather was too fine and the ducks must have been in 

 the rice fields, for the total bag of the whole party was one 

 cormorant, four divers, two shelldrakesand a pair of avocets, 

 the last falling to my lot. 



The supply of wood being short, it was decided to return 

 across Bull's Bay that night and hunt deer on Bull's Island 

 next morning, so despite the warning of the keepers, we 

 made a start at 10 o'clock that night, Mr. Mag-wood acting 

 as pilot, for none of the party knew the course save him. 

 Everything was lovely until high tide, and we were congratu- 

 lating ourselves that the worst was over, when with a bump 

 we stopped, and there we stuck. We backed, and we poled, 

 and we kedged; we put. Deerslayer and Jack on the bow, 

 then they moved to the stern. All hands were put in the 

 boats except the engineer and Ollie. It was no use. We 

 were doomed to spend another twelve hours on the bank, 

 and to cap the climax, a thick, heavy fog set in, and blotted 

 out every landmark. 



We made the best of the inevitable, and after drawing the 

 fires, each sought a place for sleep. No watch was needed, 

 for by the time the fires were drawn, the water was less than 

 two feet deep alongside, and two hours more we knew would 

 leave us high and dry, and high and dry we were; when, 

 crawling from between the afterbitts at dawn, the scene pre- 

 sented itself to me that I have tried to describe at the open- 

 ing cf this article. 



A. few yells and whoops brought every one to a realizing 

 sense of where they were. Deerslayer examined his legs 

 and was immeasurably relieved to find they did not need 

 sealing-wax. Steve, the engineer, ceased waging a Avar, in 

 dreams, with bursting boilers and dire collisions. 



Jack had no time to rake in the pot on the royal flush he 

 held, nor was Ollie carried down with the mat he was sink- 

 ing on the bar. 



Walters moaned at the thought of the feast before him 

 when the Onondaga cry tore him from his first juicv mouth- 

 ful. 



Magwood's dream must have been of making a double, for 

 he first exclaimed, "I have 'em both!" 



All were stiff and sore and damp, and as an invigorator 

 we all took a good swallow of tomato catsup, there being 

 nothing stronger on board except the above-mentioned pants 

 of Deerslayer. 



Breakfast w T as cooked over a fire made in the fishing jack, 

 and then Mr. Magwood and I took a row off in the fog to 

 get our bearings, while the engineer made steam to be all 

 ready for a start when the tide would be high snough to 

 float us. 



By good luck Mr. Magwood found one of the stakes mark- 

 ing the channel, and with a pocket compass we got the direc- 

 tion of the tug and then returned, and three of the party 

 amused themselves with penny ante poker until the tug 

 had floated almost clear of the bottom, when the three heavy 

 weights got iu one of the boats, and after some backing and 

 starting the Bull's River was once more beaded in her proper 

 course. 



The delay in starting caused a fearful reduction in our 

 supply of fuel, and w T e only reached Bull's Island by sacri- 

 ficing every box, board and movable piece of wood on board, 

 the bunker planks and even the stools being given up, and 

 the three boats in tow were turned loose, each with an occu- 

 pant, when half a mile from the landing, which was reached 

 with barely steam enough to turn the screw over. 



After a dinner at Mr. "Mag wood's house we were all given 

 stands on the road, and two darkies and a dog were sent into 

 the hammock to drive. 



Mr-. Magwood had the first shot, but did not kill, and 

 then it was that Deerslayer covered himself with glory, 

 killing a magnificent iKick in splendid style with never a 

 quake of buck fever, and although the deer was on a keen 

 run he stopped dead in his tracks at over fifty yards. 



1 saw a, large doe, but she was too far off for buckshot, 

 and I had put the Winchester aside by request, as it was 

 feared it might carry too far, and possibly wound a driver. 



We all congratulated Deerslayer, of course, and as 1 had 

 killed the most deer of any one iuthe party, to me was given 

 the task of decorating him a "Knight of the Forest," in true 

 Southern style, and an Indian in his war paint would have 

 turned green with envy could he have seen his gory orna- 

 mentation after he bad been duly sworn in. 



A good wash, a hearty meal, a chat, around the blazing 

 fire and then what a glorious sleep we had in the first bed 

 we had occupied in nearly a week. 



The next morning a cart carried the deer to the inlet, 

 which place we reached on foot and found the tug ready, 

 with steam up, awaiting us, as she bad preceded us to 

 Capers Island the night, before. 



A hearty shake of the hand all around, a few coins of the 

 bird of freedom to the drivers and darkies, and w*e were 

 homeward bound, with only pleasant memories of the man- 

 ner in which we had been entertained by the Messrs. Mag- 

 wood, and the kind reception given us at Cape Roman Light 

 by Chief Robinson and his two assistants, McLellan and 

 Nelson, all of whom did everything in their power to add 

 to our comfort and enjoyment. 



We reached Sullivan's' Island too late for me to catch the 

 last boat to the city, so bidding good-bye to Deerslayer the 

 trip was made in one of our yawls propelled by four lusty 

 pair of anus, and as the negro melodies from the rowers' 

 voices floated out over the waters under the starlight, so 

 soothing was the music I dropped asleep, 



When I awoke we were at the market wharf, and a few 

 hours later I was speeding northward to receive my Christ- 

 mas greeting beneath the snow-clad hills of Onondaga. 

 Mat Port, Fla., February, 1884. 



WHERE THE BUNG TREE GROWS. 



[concluded fbom page 243.] 



^"OROEESSOR, suppose we try the dam to-day?" 



JL "No use; plenty of fish there, but you can't catch 

 them. " 



I merely nodded and blew a wreath of smoke from my 

 pipe, and rising from my chair, shortly returned with a book 

 of flies. The Professor winked at our host, and watched me 

 while I selected a half dozen or so. 



"Now, John, jump into that buckboard with mc, and if 1 

 don't show you a mess of trout to-night that will make you 

 green with envy, I'll own up beat." 



A ride of an hour brought us to the dam. The water was 

 pouring over it to a depth of six inches. Rather high for 

 good fishing, thought I, but we're in for it. The water fall- 

 ing on the immense apron of the dam, sent the spray rising 

 in clouds, while the pool at the foot thereof looked s'o invit- 

 ing we could not restrain an exclamation of delight. We 

 found a party of English fishermen already on the ground 

 before us, who were vigorously whipping the water, but on 

 inquiry, discovered they had not caught anything; and upon 

 presenting ourselves armed cap-a-pie for the fray, they with- 

 drew to watch the Yankees "yank, 'em out," by they didn't 

 yank. 



We found our companions at the dam a party of jolly good 

 fellows, and passed a most delightful day in their company, 

 but we, none of us, caught any fish. I say none, I must de- 

 mur from that remark, all but myself had withdrawn iu dis- 

 gust, to a little country store near by, and were regaling 

 themselves on crackers and cheese, while I sat on a large 

 rock near the pool smoking. A small boy, the ubiquitous 

 small boy, with pole to which the bark yet adhered, the 

 proverbial small boy, with bare feet, one suspender, and a 

 cotton line, crept along the slippery apron of the dam, crept 

 along, with a fat grasshopper for bait, and looked exultingly 

 across at me, and in less than a half minute he bad a 

 whopper upon the apron. The fish dropped off- the hook 

 just as he got him up, and then began a struggle on the 

 slippery apron, pitch and toss; first the boy would have the 

 best of it, then the trout, and finally, after a hard fight, the 

 boy fell flat on his face, in a vain endeavor to crush his 

 adversary, coming near going over the edge into the pool as 

 he did so, but the trout was one too many for him, and shoot- 

 ing to one side escaped. The boy was wet, of course, from 

 head to foot, and looked both disappointed and crestfallen 

 as he met my gaze. I beckoned to him and he came around 

 to where I sat, '"Twas too bad, bub, wasn't it?" I questioned 

 him, while he examined my rod, line, and flies, in amaze- 

 ment. Finally, after preventing him with two or three flies 

 and some hooks, he became very confidential, told me he had 

 played "hookey" from school that day, and was afraid his 

 "dad" would flog him if he went home, especially as he had 

 no fish; "but," says he, "if you give me half what you ket8h 

 I'll show you where you can get — oh, lots." 



I could eulogize that boy, but I won't. I could have 

 hugged him then and there, but I didn't. I gave him a 

 quarter, divided my lunch with him, and he let me into a 

 secret. Let a boy alone for finding out where the. big trout 

 rendezvous. "Mister, do you see that alder bush over there 

 'tother side o' the dam, where the water is still and quiet 

 like? Well, right in there is a spring hole, you can't see it 

 now for it's all covered up by the water flowin' over the dam, 

 but when the water is drawed down you kin; now you jest 

 creep round there with me and I'll show 'em to you, more'n 

 a bushel," and sure enough there they were, as I found upon 

 investigation. While my companions were munching their 

 crackers and cheese in the little grocery I amused myself 

 and delighted the small boy by taking out from there about 

 thirty of as handsome trout as I ever saw taken from one 

 pool. The boy went on his way rejoicing over his luck and 

 the prospect of appeasing the wrath of a stern parent, and I 

 strolled up to the store to witness the discomfiture of my 

 companions. I can't make the Professor believe but those 

 fish were bought and m^hed expressly for this occasion. 



The Professor made a discovery of a wonderful "fungus" 

 growth encircling a tree in the forest; hear him: 



"Yes, I was following up a small stream, which enters the 

 main stream, just below the wash out, when above the noise 

 of the water, I heard a peculiar sound— now pitched on a 

 high treble, now in the middle octave, again basso profundo, 

 what could it be? My cogitations as to its cause were soon 

 brought to a termination, as I discovered the most won- 

 derful growth of fungus on a tree over head. Stepping 

 forward to more clearly observe this marvel of the wilder- 

 ness, the noise before mentioned grew decidedly 

 louder, and I could see immense numbers of flies buzzing 



around it; but, gentlemen, those were not flies, they were real 

 old-fashioned bald hornets. I made tracks out of there, just 

 about as fast as my legs could carry me — why if that swarm 

 had taken after me I'd never reached home alive." And he 

 wouldn't, for we afterward together inspected the hornets' 

 nest at a safe distance, and it was a most wonderful curios- 

 ity, and big as a clothes hamper. 



Berry's was some ten miles from where we were stopping, 

 and consisted of a one-storv cabin, weather-beaten and for- 

 lorn, like its owner; but he and his wife were good-hearted 

 people, who lived in this isolated spot, eking out a scanty 

 living for themselves. We knew the accommodations were 

 very primitive and the capacity of the house such that we 

 need not build our expectations too high. Still, we con- 

 cluded to take things as we found them, and this is how we 

 found them. On our arrival at the Berry mansion, we 

 rapped on the small red front door for admission, but getting 

 no response we concluded nobody was at home. Going 

 back of the house, we found evidences of feminine occu- 

 pancy in the shape of several Berry pies, which had but re- 

 cently been placed outside, on a covered shelf, to cool, and 

 whose warmth showed a recent proximity to the oven and a 

 comparatively recent proximity of the cook. We still fur- 

 ther investigated and discovered a can of milk in the spring, 

 whose icy coldness had been communicated to it by a long 

 immersion, and as they evidently expected company we 

 thought we would register, so John made his mark on one 

 (if the pies and I followed suit; the milk helped wash it 

 down. The pie was good and so was the milk, and when 

 we stopped registering we had absorbed half a pie and a 

 quart of milk. 



Shortly a dog made his appearance; he approached us, 

 scented around, acted in a familiar manner toward John's 

 fish-basket, got a kick from the Professor, who don't like 

 dogs, and finally made friends tlumigh the medium of a 

 piece of imported bologna brought with us. We strolled 

 around in front of the house where our horse was tied ; we 

 smoked, we whistled, told stories, sung songs, and suddenly 

 the door opened and a frightened apparition iu red calico 

 appeared standing therein ; she evidently came in through one 

 of the rear windows, and had "fixed up" for the occasion. 



"Good afternoon, mam, can you accommodate us over 

 night?" 



"Wall, yis, if you'll be civil." 



"Well, mem, we'll try to be," and the Professor's face 

 wore its most winning smile. 



"Wall, then, if you kin put up with what we kin give you, 

 you kin stay an' welcome." 



Our room was furnished with a husk bed on which the 

 few martyrs who visited that region might seek repose, and 

 an hour-glass pillow. I designate it an hour-glass pillow 

 because of its shape when in use, and because 1 counted the 

 hours while using it. The bed had not been occupied since 

 the last time the room was cleaned, and the two were evi- 

 dently both accomplished at the same remote period. 



The room was tenanted by wasps, they were there in colo- 

 nies. Now if there is anything I do absolutely detest it is a 

 wasp. Wasps! Horrors! I went to bed that night withsucU 

 a crawling sense of nervousness as I never before experienced, 

 and as 1 hope may never experience again. Cold chills crept 

 up and down my back like a man with the ague, the Profes- 

 sor was snoring by my side, and I was waiting, waiting for 

 what? Waiting for one of the varmints to drop from the 

 ceiling on to my pilb»w. I had not long to wait, for a sharp 

 tap on my pillow near my left ear, accompanied with an 

 angry buzz, gave token that my cherished expectations were 

 realized, and I waited in agony for the piercing of the epi- 

 dermis, which 1 felt assured must speedily follow. The per- 

 spiration was oozing out from top to toe," and the tortures of 

 suspense w-as only aggravated by the pertinacity of the Pro- 

 fessor's attempts to sound double G. Each second was mag- 

 nified into moments, and the attempts to reach the bottom of 

 the sonorous gamut ended in a howl and a kick of the bed 

 clothes which sent them flying over the footboard of the bed, 

 and the Professor sprang' on'the floor, leaping clear of his 

 bed fellow. While the Professor was executing a double 

 shuffle, I lit the candle, and we began an onslaught on the 

 wasps, burned them out, smoked them out, and we crushed 

 them till we crushed them out. 



A hearty meal the evening before retiring, of fried salt 

 pork, had made my throat dry as a nutmeg grater, but I 

 forgot my thirst in my dread of the wasps. JtsTow the wasps 

 having been exterminated, I began to feel a return of it, and 

 I suddenly discovered that I wanted a drink. I had noticed 

 a pail of water sitting on a chair near our bedroom door, 

 just before retiring, and hanging on the wall just above it a 

 tin dipper. I stood the intolerable thirst as long as I could, 

 consideration for John kept me from rising for fear of dis- 

 turbing him, but now I rose very quietly, creeping out of 

 bed as softly as a mouse, refraining Irorn lighting a match, 

 lest I disturb the Berrys, whose sonorous breathing greeted 

 my ear as I opened the door leading into their apartment. The 

 pail of water sat on a chair to the right of the door, and of 

 course I could put my hand right on it; passing through the 

 door and turning to the right I groped along, 'twas pitch 

 dark. Strange, surely the pail sat just about here, and the 

 dipper hung right here. 1 placed my hands on the wall, as I 

 thus soliloquized, and felt for the dipper. My hand came in 

 contact with something of a metallic nature, and the next 

 instant Mrs. Berry's big bread pan came thundering down. 

 Rolling to the middle of the apartment it began tixe most in- 

 fernal waltz; round and round, and round and round on the 

 hard board flooring in the stillness of the night it spun, giv- 

 ing out a peculiar tinny roar, now soft, now loud, as it turned 

 from edge to edge; round and round, as though some demon 

 of the night was urging it, on faster and faster apparently, 

 until it began to wobble. A titter from a woman and loud 

 guffaw from a man proceeded from some undistinguishable 

 quarter from out the Cimmerian darkness, startled me, and 

 caused me to realize the ludicrous position I was in, while 

 the man's voice direeted me to the left of the door for the 

 drink 1 sought. 



The fishing we had on the morrow made amends for all the 

 trilmlations of the night preceding, and w T e had such sport 

 as I never had before, and took back a beautiful display of 

 trout. 



This ended our fishing, and our return to the land of 

 civilization was uneventful. To all those ardent followers 

 of the rod, who love sport for sport's sake, I cordially recom- 

 mend a trip to the forests and streams of the land where the 

 "bung" tree grows. C. A. M. 



Kentucky.— Mill Springs, April 31.— Birds wintered well, 

 and a favorable nesting season is all that is necessary to an 

 abundant crop of game next fall. Young squirrels are 

 ready for the table. — Kenttjckian'. 



